Exploration has been the road to world-changing discoveries. Whether it's trekking to the most remote glaciers, scouring the harshest deserts, or diving to the deepest parts of the oceans. Pushing boundaries has always led to ground-breaking innovation.
Will embracing the pioneer end our current conversation crises?
This month, we sit down with design icon Yves Béhar to chat about his futuristic underwater habitat PROTEUS, an Index Award 2021 nominee, designed with renowned ocean explorer Fabien Cousteau.
PROTEUS, dubbed an "underwater version of the International Space Station", will enable scientists, government agencies and corporations to live and work underwater for extended periods. They'll be able to conduct unprecedented research on the oceans, making way for discoveries within conservation and sustainability, as well as across broader issues around food security and pharmaceuticals.
"There's such an emphasis on going to outer space, visiting other planets, and even colonising Mars," says Béhar. "[But] we don't know enough about the oceans, in fact, 95% of the oceans are undiscovered. "It's not only absolutely needed to understand more about our oceans so we can protect them, but it's also essential to create enthusiasm and excitement; to create a beacon of what future ocean exploration should be."
Over the years, Béhar has been recognised by The Index Award several times for his contributions to social and environmental causes, including Verbien: free customisable glasses for children; One Laptop Per Child, a low-cost laptop to democratise computer access; and sustainable packaging for PUMA's clever little bag. In this episode, Béhar also shares stories of his sustainability journey, from swimming in a revived Lake Geneva as a child to designing impactful solutions for some of the world's biggest brands and organisations.
"I certainly have a sense that there is a climate emergency; I do have a sense of urgency," he says. "I am also optimistic that if we change things, nature can renew itself, and I've seen it happen; these were important lessons in my childhood. "But I also understand the tremendous effort that has to be done to get there. It includes people's advocacy: people demanding a change from their industry and governments, [supporting] solutions and good design, and it also demands enforcement."
"It's essential to create enthusiasm and excitement; to create a beacon of what future ocean exploration should be."
Once fundraising is secure, PROTEUS will be built off the coast of Curaçao in, according to Behar, as little as two to three years. In addition to opening the door for new and impactful discoveries, the designer hopes it'll catalyse a new generation passionate about ocean exploration and conservation.
"As a child, I was riveted by these early underwater movies and discoveries and seeing the animals as well as seeing some of the changes that Jacques Cousteau was really pointing it," he says. "And while there was a message of hope, there was also a message of urgency."
The Podcast Series
'Can design save us?' is a series exploring design as a pioneering force for good. We dive into the most pressing problems of our time and meet inspiring people using innovation to solve them. We explore the good, bad, complex and controversial. Listen on iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts and Podimo.
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